mat son



, by which means the most eiic-ient,"compact, and best discharge ofthewater is produced.

M. n. Masson, or Hons'nnnnns, New' YORK.

hammam No. 77,302, ma April 28, 1868.

i YIllIPROl/'Ellllllll IN WATER-WHEELS.

ette attachment tu in tigcse ttttts tlntnit mit mirtngrttt 'tf tigealla.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that 1I,v M. II. MATSON, of Horseheads, kin the county ofChemung, and State of New'Yorlr,

have invented certain new-and useful Improvements in Water-Wheels; and Ido hereby declare that the following is'a full and exact descriptionthereof', refer-ence being had to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification.

Figure l'is an elevation of my improved wheel andcurb.

Figure, a longitudinal section plane :c x, iig. 1.

Figure 3, an elevation ofthe wheel proper removed from the curb. i

Figure 4, a central vertical section of the wheel and curb, the wheelbeing elevated above the curb for clearness of illustration. i

Figure 5, a vertical section of the upper bearing.A suspending thewheel'.

Figure 6,' a plan of the under side of the'bearing-blo'ck.

Figure 7, perspective view of the coupling-clamp of the spindle.l

Figure 8, a diagram showing an elevation of' the wicket-gates to one ofthe chutes of the curb.

Figure 9, plan of the'same.

Figure 10, a view ofthe gearing for opening and closing of the gates. v

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

This invention consists in combining, with eccentric-chutes ofthe curb,horizontal partitions,rwhioh divide the water-space -of said c urb andwheel intoy compartments, whereby the water is brought in contact withthe wheel-in a way to act with more force and regularity of effect; andit consists also in the combination with the above device of a specialarrangement of the gates, and devicesfor operating the same; andfurther, in the arrangement for suspendingthe wheel to secure its freeand perfect action, 'and in the coupling of Vthe spindlel As representedin the drawings, A is the curb, and B the wheel proper. The curbsurrounds ithc wheel,

and is divided into a suitable number of eoeentric-chutes,a a,.as mostclearly shown in g.2. The water admittedl through these chutes isconcentrated uniformly and brought in contact with the wheel at regularpoints. Both the wheel and the curb are divided into sections orcompartments, 1, 2, 3, 86e., by means of horizontal divisions orpartitions, b b, b b', the corresponding divisions ofthe two partscoinciding orc-coming exactly' opposite each other, and tting closelytogether, so that the'water let on in vany one of the sections will bebrought to act directly on the corresponding part-of the wheel.

The several sections ofthe wheel are provided with buckets, e c', c',the upper buckets having a centre disa charge, (iig. 2,) and the lowertier having a centre and base discharge, :is/shown in tigsQS and 4. Theinner ends ofthe centre discharge-buckets simply come opposite, oralittle past, the outer ends of the next buckets,

The division of the water-space between the curb and wheel thus intosections, insures several very important results. The most important is,that' I am enabled to let on the water in any one of the sectionsindependent of the others, and thus proportion my power to'- theresistance to heovercome. For instance, if the resistance is small, Ican let on the water only in small section 3: ifit is double, I can leton water only in section 2; or it' the resistance is still greater, Ican let on the volume through both 2 and 3, and so on.

In this manner I am enabled to proportion the power to the resistance,which equalizes the action of the wheel and economizes in the volume ofwater. In addition ,toithispwhen the full power is applied, thedivisionsv insure the equal and uniform action over'thc whole wheel, byconning the water in its proper place, and not' allowing it to spreadand diffuse, by which much of the reaction is lost. The compact'is veryeffective, and the water is held steadily in place, without toorapidescape.

The employment of the eccentric-chute a, in combination with thedividingof the water-spaccof the curb and wheel into lcompartments, asdescribed, has the eiiect ofdistributing and applying the wateruniformly and regularly over those portions of 'thc.'wheel with whichit' is brought in contact, securing steadiness of motion, und preventingthat vibration and jarring which occur where a--Isimplo scroll only isused. i

l At the entrance ofcach of the chutespa a are wicket-gates, d d d,corresponding in number with and covering the sections 1, 2, 8, 85e., asindicated in figs. 8 and 9. These gates are centrally pivoted at e e,and have lugs ff, to which are jointed arms g g, extending back, andjointed at the opposite end to hoops C C C, encircling the curb, andresting onsupports h h. i

Thus arranged, it will be seen that when the hoops are moved around,forward or back, (by a pinion, as in fig. 10, or otherwise,) the gateswill be correspondingly opened or closed, as may be desired. And' as'each hoop y audits series of gates are independent of the others, thewater may be let on in either section desired:- This independent openingand closing of# each series of gates is essential'to produce the workingof the wheel, as before described. Simple sliding gateswou'ld onlycommence to let on the water at one end, and `the sections would have tobe opened successively .from one end to the other. `The separateswinging gatesv allow any one of the v sections to be opened,irrespective ofposition.

lllhe cur'b rests upon a suitable foundation that will holdit firmly inplace. Instea'd, however, of resting the weight ofA the wheel upon' astep at the bottom, as usual, I suspend it by the spindle D on asuitable bearing above. The connection of this bearing is shown vmostclearly in iig. 5. The spindle is provided with a screw- I end, v', witha small square portion, It', b elow. Over the square portion rests adouble vconvexjbloek, Z, and

on top o f this screws a nut or hurrnn, with washers between, ifdesired. The block rests in a concave bearingsocket, n, of correspondingform, which is supported firmly on suitable timbers. The socket, at theouter and i inner edges, may b'e turned up, so as to hold the oil'. Thediameter of the bearing may be such as to give the necessary strength.In a large-sized wheel, the bearing is preferably about a foot indiameter. 'At the bottom `ot the wheel, the end of the spindle simplyrests in a suitable guide, to steady it; and astep may be arrangedbelow, so thatif the wheel lowers by wear,'or otherwise, the step willcatch it. The nut m enables the spindle to be tightened up at any time.The suspension ofthe wheel by the upper bearing gives Vgreat steadiness,and insures an easy action. The convex form oi`- the 'block l allowsplay ofthe spindle from the centre without binding.

The bottom of the bearing-block Zis provided with tangential grooves orpassages, r r, (fig. 6,) pointing in that direction which will work thegum and dirt from the centre to the' outside in the bearing-socket u.This keeps the bearing free from dirt, and also has atendency todistribute the oil.

The ordinary globe-coupling S is used in the shaft. iI employ, to retainit in place, a clamp made up of cup-shaped disks t t, encircling thecoupling, but situated atsome distance apart, and securedV by bolts u u,cony nectingfrom one to the other in lugs v e. Y A

The connections produced by theserbolts have a degree of freedom andflexibility that insures a universal motion to the extent necessary toallow the bending and vibration of" the spindle, but at the same timegive suilcient'stiiness for the rotary motion. Whenever desirable, fromwearer otherwise, the disks can be tightened by screwing up thebolts. l

This coupling-clamp is of much advantage employedin connection with thesuspended bearing, since it compensates for any inclination orirregularity of the wheel,and`allows the bearing-block to retain itsnatural position. l Y A I de not claim a wheel proper whos-ebucket-space is divided into sections, as I am aware that the samel isnot new.

What I claim as my invention,`and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv I. The water-space Voi' the curb and wheel, each divided intocompartments, 1, l 3, &c., by the partitions I b, t b', when combinedwith the eccentric-chutes a a, the whole arranged and operating in themanner and v for the purposes h erein set forth; 1 v v 2..'.l.hecombination with the above of the series of gates d, and the arrangementof the hoop C, arms g, an

lugsf, for operating the gates, in theV manner-and for the purposesspecified. 4

' 3. The-combination of the convex bearing-block Z, bearing n, withupturned edges, to retain the oil, and the adjustingmut vn, the whole sooperating a's to suspend the wheel,and allow its vibration from an axialline, as set forth. l

4, The combination of the clamping-disks t tand bolts 'u 'it withthelglobe-coupling S, operating in the manner andfor the purpose hereinset forth. i

In witnesswhereoi', I have hereunto signed my name in thepresenee of twosubscribing witnesses.

i M. n. MA'rsoN.

Witnesses G. 'WooDnUrr-, JoHN B. SLY.

